On Two Wheels: Melha Riders' Hospital Run and Smith & Wesson Takes Aim at Cancer motorcycle rides set

Neil Hawley, The RepublicanHere is a scene from the 2010 Melha Riders annual motorcycle ride to benefit Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield.

The riding season is rapidly speeding by, and, with August nearly upon us, it brings with it two of the area’s biggest rides.

On Aug. 21 it will be the Melha Riders fifth annual Hospital Run to benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield.

The Melha Riders were established as a motorcycle group within the Melha Shrine back in 1999 and now number some 170 members. Due to their love of riding (“We ride so kids can walk” is their motto), it became a natural fit when the Hospital Run was born.

In the four short years that this ride has been around, it has quickly become one of the largest in the state and has somewhat replaced the late great Brightside ride as the area’s premier ride for raising money. It was just last year that the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield came perilously close to being shut down in a cost-cutting measure that threatened several of the hospitals.

Springfield is just one of 22 Shriners hospitals that treat anyone under the age of 18 at no cost. Their specialty is neuro-musculoskeletal conditions and burn injuries, so a worthier cause you will not find.

Over the course of the run the Melha Riders have raised over $112,000, including over $25,000 last year when the event was slowed by what only can be described as a “Biblical” rain, the only such rain in the four-year history of the event.

Never one to rest on their laurels, the Shriners continue to strive to make the ride bigger and better every year through the dedication and hard work of its members. This is truly a year-round endeavor for the Melha Riders as many months are spent lining up sponsors and having fundraisers such as raffle ticket sales.

This year’s event will once again kick off from the Westwood Restaurant located at 94 North Elm St. in Westfield. Staging starts at 10 a.m. with riders pulling out at noon. The ride will travel to Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield and then on to the Melha Shrine Center at 133 Longhill St. in Springfield.

The cost is $15 per person which includes food and entertainment. Breakfast will be available at the Westwood, and there will also T-shirt sales, raffles and other vendors on hand. For more information or if you would like to become a sponsor, log on to www.melhariders.com.

The other ride which has become somewhat of an area staple is the Smith & Wesson Takes Aim at Cancer run which benefits the Cancer House of Hope.

Now going into its third year, the good folks at Smith & Wesson are becoming old hands at putting on a fine event. This year’s event is on Aug. 28 and will have a few new things added including the addition of a game barbecue following the ride.

The barbecue features such things as elk burgers and game chili and will be limited to the first 300 registrants. Hamburgers and hot dogs will also be offered.

This year’s ride begins at Smith & Wesson’s main plant (in the past it was the Sports Center on Page Boulevard) located at 2100 Roosevelt Ave. in Springfield. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the last bike out at 10:30 as this is a ride-on-your-own-to-the-stops event. Pre-registration costs are $30 per rider and $15 per passenger for the game meal, $20 per rider and $10 per passenger, excluding the game meal. The day of the event prices are $25 per rider and $10 per passenger which excludes the game barbecue.

Raffle prizes include a Smith & Wesson M & P 15-22 rifle for pre-registrants and an additional M & P 15-22 for all eligible participants and, by eligible, I mean you must comply with all applicable gun licensing laws, no exceptions.

The after party will be held at the Young Men’s Club of Hadley located on 138 East St. Over the years Smith & Wesson has raised nearly $50,000 for Cancer House of Hope, much of it coming from the motorcycle run. Participants can pre-register or purchase tickets at TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington, Conn., or by going online at www.smithandwessontakesaimatcancer.com.
Goings On: On July 30, it will be Shenanigan’s Pub second annual motorcycle run to benefit Stavros Center for Independent Living. The ride begins at Shenanigan’s, 154 Elm St. in Westfield. Registration is from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with the cost being $20 per rider and $10 per passenger. Dinner and entertainment will follow the ride back at Shenanigan’s. For tickets or more info go to Shenanigan’s or Stavros Springfield location, or call Rich, (413) 885-2852.

On Aug. 6, it will be the third annual Robbie’s Ride. Registration is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Septembers on View Street in Chicopee. The cost is $20 per person. Afterwards there will be food, live music and raffles. All proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. For tickets or more information, call Peter McDonnell, (413) 331-0756.

On Aug. 13, it will be the fifth annual “Ride for Randi and Family Day.” Registration is from 9 to 11 a.m. at Boissy’s garage located at 140 Lower Road in Hardwick. For more info, go to www.4randi.com.

Also on Aug. 13, the fourth annual Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center presents their “Ride Like an Animal” run. Registration is from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the O’Connor center at 627 Cottage St. in Springfield. The ride will end at the Chicopee Family Moose Center where there will be food, fun and live music as well as a bounce house and play ground for the kids. The cost is $25 per bike with non-riders costing $15. Children 12 and under are $7. All proceeds will go directly to the Thomas J. O’Connor center. Log on to www.tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com for more info.

Until next time, ride safe and ride smart.

Tim Aloisio, of Monson, has been a recreational motorcycle rider for more than 30 years. He is a member of the National Harley-Davidson Owners Group and the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association. He can be reached at travelintim@ hotmail.com